1. Use a knife to trim close to the designs. Cut out the 4 flowers in the springtime design. Cut out the Tulip Duo designs according to the sketch below.

2. To attach designs to frame, choose 1 of these 2 methods:
(1) If you have an unfinished wood frame arrange your wet castings on the frame, and attach them using the directions below. Let dry for at least 24 hours.
(2) If your frame is NOT unfinished wood, lightly sand any rough edges on its surface smooth. Let castings dry and sand any rough areas smooth. Glue castings onto the frame with tacky glue or white glue.
3. Brush on a coat of primer and let dry.
4. Spray on a coat of white paint and let dry.
5. Spray on a coat of Pearlcote™ pearl glaze and let dry.
6. Use a sponge to apply Rub ‘n Buff® to the decorative designs as a surface treatment (see Basic Clay Casting).
7. Us a gold paint marker to embellish the frame as shown in the photo. Use simple leaf shapes, curled lines, and dots to fill in around the cut-out castings. Let dry.
8. To create the strip of gold on the inside rim of the frame: use artist tape or low-tack masking tape to cover the portion of the edge that will not be covered by the gold. Then apply the Rub ‘n Buff® with a sponge (see instructions in Basic Clay Casting), stroking from the tape to the center of the frame. If you stroke the other way, you will deposit Rub ‘n Buff® under the tape and lose the crispness of the edge. Let dry.
9. You are now ready to insert your photograph and assemble the frame.

**Applying castings to unfinished wood:

1. Before you apply any clay castings to unfinished wood, make sure the wood surface for your project is finely sanded.

2. Use the Rolling-Pin Method (see Basic Clay Casting Instructions) to create your castings (***because they will have a flat back and adhere well. The Pressed-Ball Method leaves a more uneven surface). Do not allow the castings to dry before applying them to the wood.

3. Apply wet castings to the wood by dabbing a few drops of water on the wood and the back of the casting. Then put the casting on the wood and press lightly on the design to make sure it bonds to the wood.

4. If you want a well-defined edge around the casting, careflly trim around the design without cutting into the surface of the wood.

If you prefer a blended edge on your casting, press the soft edges of your casting with the rounded end of a paint brush, a blunt tool, or your finger, sloping the edges down to the wood. Dab water on the edge of the design if it resists blending.

Use a wet paint brush to smooth the area between the clay and the wood. Let dry. Note: Be careful not to leave a lot of water on the wood. You will probably need to allow a day or 2 for this type of project to dry.

Project designed and created by Sue Moore. Photography by Paperworks, Corvallis, OR

This clay casting project is featured along with dozens of others in our book The Art of Clay Casting, which includes basic paper casting instructions, techniques for special effects, and a glossary of terms.